Collingwood star Dale Thomas is racing the clock to recover from ankle surgery in time for Round 1. Source: Getty Images

WHO'S flying and who's hurt at your club plus a report card on every team's top draft picks.

ADELAIDE

FORM: Erratic, but Adelaide has worked the bottom end of its list and found its young players do have an appetite for the contest..

DRAFT WATCH: Midfielder Rory Atkins showed great promise in his half against Fremantle on Saturday - and brought the question why he was still in the draft at No.81?

MEDICAL ROOM: Brodie Smith (collarbone) and Jared Petrenko (shoulder) are still on the sidelines. The Crows will bring back the big guns this week - Sam Jacobs, Scott Thompson, Ben Rutten and Brent Reilly.

WHAT'S NEXT: Geelong at Geelong on Saturday

- Michelangelo Rucci

SUMMER BAROMETER: Click on your team flag at the top of the top of the page for a complete pre-season run-down including full injury list

FORM: Appears to be fitter than ever and easily handled the oppressive conditions at Metricon Stadium on Saturday night. Former Demon Brent Moloney has added some much needed starch to Michael Voss’ midfield.

DRAFT WATCH: Sam Mayes has impressed everyone at Brisbane over the summer and Voss intends to roll his top draft pick out at the tail end of the pre-season tournament with a potential Round 1 debut on the cards.

MEDICAL ROOM: Co-captain Jed Adcock and Irishman Pearce Hanley are expected to return this week. Captain Jonathan Brown is being kept for the Collingwood clash in week three while veterans Simon Black and Brent Staker will not play in the Nab Cup.

WHAT’S NEXT: GWS Giants in Wagga on Saturday night

- Andrew Hamilton

Former Demon Brent Moloney in action for the Lions during the NAB Cup.Source: Getty Images

CARLTON

FORM: The midfield was strong without Chris Judd, as Bryce Gibbs and Marc Murphy warmed to the task. Michael Jamison looked injury-free, and the forward line has power with Sam Rowe and Levi Casboult. Plenty of great signs in two wins, which put them second on the NAB Cup table.

DRAFT WATCH: Troy Menzel is yet to play given his knee issues, but Nick Graham (pick 54) was excellent in the intra-club match last week.

MEDICAL ROOM: Chris Judd will play NAB Cup but probably not next week, Matthew Kreuzer will play this week, and Jarrad Waite will play this week or next.

FORM: Plenty to like about the new faces representing the Magpies in the opening NAB Cup games including Clinton Young, Quinten Lynch and Jordan Russell. Mix that with what the Magpies currently have and it looks to make a potent force.

DRAFT WATCH: Collingwood's trio of VFL rookie draftees - Kyle Martin, Jack Frost and Sam Dwyer - showed they could be more than just making up the numbers. Tim Broomhead has glandular fever while Brodie Grundy has a back injury.

MEDICAL ROOM: Dale Thomas (ankle) is still touch and go for Round 1, while Alan Didak (hamstring) will have a delayed start to the season. Luke Ball might play in Round 3 of the NAB Cup.

FORM: Dyson Heppell's transition into a midfielder looks on track while Brendon Goddard looked particularly impressive in his new jumper. Mature-aged recruit Nick Kommer showed he was up to the standard and looks like one to watch.

DRAFT WATCH: The lid is off Joe Daniher. The 201cm forward tore apart the club's intra-club match last Friday, kicking five goals and pulling down 12 marks. Looks to be as good as the hype suggests and likely to make his debut this Saturday.

MEDICAL ROOM: Key midfielder David Zaharakis is still another week away after a setback with his quad injury while Jake Melksham (hand) will miss at least one more. Captain Jobe Watson and defender Ben Howlett will play their first games of the pre-season this weekend.

FORM: The Dockers were impressive in dispatching Geelong in their NAB Cup opener, but a lot less so against the Eagles. Freo was overrun in the final minutes in a practice match against the Crows last weekend, but there were big positives in the return of Nat Fyfe, who dominated after coming on at quarter-time, and David Mundy. Michael Barlow picked up another truckload of possessions.

DRAFT WATCH: No sign of No.17 pick Josh Simpson yet but he is a chance to play against the Blues on Saturday after impressing in a Peel Thunder trial. Young tall Tanner Smith (pick 36) lined up against the Crows but had minimal impact.

MEDICAL ROOM: The pre-season from hell. Anthony Morabito did his knee again, Aaron Sandilands (hamstring) is out for two months and Ryan Crowley is recovering from a torn pectoral muscle. Chris Mayne looked in all sorts of trouble after rolling his ankle against the Cats but the club says the injury isn’t serious. Matthew Pavlich(back) has rejoined full training but is unlikely to be risked before Round 1.

FORM: Travis Varcoe is the one. Super exciting on his return and at a SuperCoach price of $268,900 as a mid/forward he is a steal. Youngster George Horlin-Smith showed he's ready to step up while one from left field was former runner athlete Mark Blicavs in the ruck.

DRAFT WATCH: Jackson Thurlow, the club's pick 16 in last year's national draft, showed enough in his first game to suggest he will be handy in the back half this year. He's been super impressive over the pre-season and will play at some stage this year.

MEDICAL ROOM: Plenty of big blokes in there with Dawson Simpson, Hamish McIntosh and Nathan Vardy out of action. Add Trent West after knee surgery yesterday. Daniel Menzel has resumed running with the main group this week while Mathew Stokes will miss a couple after injuring his ankle in the NAB Cup. Premiership stars Paul Chapman, James Kelly and Andrew Mackie will return this Saturday. Josh Hunt (glandular fever) won’t be rushed.

- Scott Gullan

Geelong forward Mathew Stokes is helped off after hurting his ankle. Picture: Daniel WilkinsSource: The Sunday Times

GOLD COAST

FORM: It was a mixed opening for the Suns. They were very impressive in a win over Hawthorn but were completely outplayed by the Lions. The exciting thing was the presence of Jaeger O’Meara who will be a regular fixture in his first AFL season.

DRAFT WATCH: Jesse Lonergan made his debut on the weekend and did not look out of place. His size and strength make him a strong candidate to be in the side when the premiership begins.

MEDICAL ROOM: Dion Prestia and Brandon Matera will return this week. But the Suns are resigned to not seeing Trent Mackenzie, Seb Tape or Nathan Bock for the entire tournament and maybe the first month of the premiership season.

FORM: The Giants could easily be undefeated. They easily accounted for an admittedly less than full-strength Sydney, and only let a lead slip against the Blues in the death. The kids of 2012 look bigger, with Toby Greene showing no signs of second-year blues in the midfield. The most obvious difference was in front of goal where 2011 No.1 draft pick Jon Patton was a dominant presence after limited exposure last year due to knee problems.

DRAFT WATCH: Nearly the whole team are first-round picks, so where do you start? Last year’s No.1 selection Lachie Whitfield lined up on a wing and showed plenty of dash and skill while No.3 pick Lachie Plowman was given exposure down back against the Swans.

MEDICAL ROOM: A good news weekend was soured by a serious injury to young defender Matt Buntine, who suffered a broken rib and punctured lung when Levi Casboult crashed into his back. He’s set to miss two months of footy. Chad Cornes will be missing for around the same time after surgery to remove a cyst on his knee, Dom Tyson is out for five months after rupturing his PCL at training and Josh Growden is recovering from hip surgery.

WHAT'S NEXT: Sam Mitchell and Brad Sewell will be back for Friday night’s game against the Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium.

- Bruce Matthews

Hawthorn forward Paul Puopolo writhes in pain after landing awkwardly on his left knee. Picture: David ClarkSource: Herald Sun

MELBOURNE

FORM: Fans were left gushing at the prospects of brute key forward Jesse Hogan after matches against North Melbourne and Richmond on the weekend. So good was he that Demons great Gerard Healy has even called on the AFL to allow the 18-year-old to play this season, rather than wait for next year as per the rules of the GWS mini-draft in which Hogan was selected. Mitch Clark wasn't there, but you add him in place of Hogan for the season proper and even still the forward line looks nice with Chris Dawes there and Cam Pedersen chipping in. Not a bad start.

DRAFT WATCH: Could have easily spoken about father-son pick Jack Viney and the club's first pick in last year's draft Jimmy Toumpas in the category above, but why not devote a whole section to them? Viney is tough as nails and is just so ready to compete with the big boys of the AFL it's not funny, while Toumpas clearly has class beyond his years. The Dees have a couple of gems on their hands, let's hope they are not left to do too much this year and that they can still develop properly given their young age.

MEDICAL ROOM: Sam Blease hurt his left ankle on Friday night and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. Clark remains in rehab for his injured foot and is in serious doubt for Round 1. Dawes' troublesome calf was a little tight after the run-around against North Melbourne and he won't play this week, but will return for NAB Cup games three and four. The same goes for defender James Frawley who had to have a minor round of plastic surgery to repair a cut he sustained in a head clash with Richmond forward Jack Riewoldt.

WHAT’S NEXT: The Dees travel to Renmark (it's about 250km north-east of Adelaide FYI) to take on Port Adelaide on Sunday. Having lost to both the Tigers and Roos, Melbourne is out of contention for this year's NAB Cup, but the weekend's game is an important one nonetheless given these two teams will also lock horns in Round 1 of the home-and-away season.

- Matt Windley

Melbourne players mob Jesse Hogan after he kicked his first goal, a corker from deep in the pocket. Picture: Wayne LudbeySource: Herald Sun

NORTH MELBOURNE

FORM: Ben Jacobs, recruited from Port Adelaide, slotted into the line-up and patterns. And the early touch from the likes of Scott McMahon, Andrew Swallow and Sam Wright was eye-catching stuff. Majak Daw added to his highlights reel but former Swan Daniel Currie was arguably more impressive in the ruck.

DRAFT WATCH: Top pick Taylor Garner has almost recovered from an off-season shoulder operation and he’s a week away from competitive work.

MEDICAL ROOM: Nathan Grima and Leigh Adams are the only two regulars to sit out opening NAB Cup rounds. And Daw’s swelling in both knees is a concern

WHAT'S NEXT: Will take 24 players and a winning attitude to play Gold Coast Suns in Townsville on Saturday afternoon.

- Bruce Matthews

PORT ADELAIDE

FORM: Encouraging. The Power smashed St Kilda on the back of a super-impressive midfield and then fell to the Crows after resting key players and playing consecutive matches in scorching temperatures. Some of Port's kids looked the goods.

DRAFT WATCH: Ollie Wines adds strength, toughness and leadership to Port's midfield and is on track to play in Round 1.

MEDICAL ROOM: Important forwards Robbie Gray (knee) and John Butcher (hip) will start the year on the sidelines while Hawthorn premiership ruckman Brent Renouf is struggling to shake off knee tendonitis. Key recruit Angus Monfries will miss three weeks with a grade one hamstring strain but former skipper Dom Cassisi is close to resuming from a calf niggle.

FORM: More of the same from Richmond after last year’s encouraging display, but it was apparent the elite kids now have 30-plus games in them and the side is clear of passengers. The stars were rested late in the second game, so Richmond was far from discouraged about the game two loss.

DRAFT WATCH: Nick Vlastuin looked hard and tough and ran in straight lines. His clean pick up and blind turn on the wing was a highlight. Great signs.

MEDICAL ROOM: Dylan Grimes and Troy Chaplin hope to play NAB Cup games, while Nathan Foley won’t be back for Round 1.

FORM: Hard to gauge given the Saints played in a furnace in Adelaide, defeating the Crows then getting thumped by Port. Trent Dennis-Lane was lively in front of goal while booming kick Arryn Siposs is being groomed as the new Brendon Goddard across half-back. Recruits Tom Lee and Tom Hickey were among the Saints’ best against the Power.

DRAFT WATCH: Top pick Nathan Wright didn’t do a lot but will be given more chances during the NAB Cup. Next selection Spencer White is recovering from a wrist injury.

MEDICAL ROOM: Apart from Wright the only other serious concern is youngster Daniel Markworth, who is set to miss most of the season after hurting his knee on the Saints’ trip to Colorado.

WHAT’S NEXT: St Kilda v Sydney, Sunday (Etihad Stadium, 5.10pm)

- Al Paton

SYDNEY

FORM: Woeful. Second-last on the NAB Cup ladder with no wins, two losses (to Carlton and GWS) and a percentage of 53.1. Coach John Longmire lamented post-match "probably the only real positive to come out of it was that we got some game time into some players," but those results won’t matter much when the real stuff starts. For what it’s worth, Jarrad McVeigh led the way in the middle and Tony Armstrong got a bit of the footy across half-back.

DRAFT WATCH: Dean Towers was a rare shining light in the Blacktown gloom, getting better as the afternoon went. The 22-year-old former VFL star – the Swans’ top pick at last year’s draft at No.22 – is a strong chance to feature in Round 1.

MEDICAL ROOM: Adam Goodes, still recovering from the knee injury he suffered in the Grand Final, is cranking up his training load and hopes to have a hitout before Round 1. Gary Rohan is slowly working his way back from a broken leg while Shane Mumford was rested from the first round of the NAB Cup to help get over an ankle problem.

FORM: The Eagles split their NAB Cup round-robin matches, pipped at the death by Geelong then easily dispatching the Dockers in Perth. With Nic Naitanui and Dean Cox injured, West Coast found another tall option in Scott Lycett while Jack Darling could wreak havoc after the successful return of forward partner Mark LeCras.

DRAFT WATCH: Adam Carter (pick 59) got a run in the opening NAB Cup outings while mature-age recruit Mark Hutchings showed plenty in the midfield. Top pick Brandt Colledge is working his way back from a hip injury.

MEDICAL ROOM: Sharrod Wellingham hurt ligaments in his knee bouncing on a trampoline and will miss the rest of the NAB Cup. Naitanui ran up the 300 steps known as Jacobs Ladder in Kings Park on the weekend as he ramps up his bid to return from groin surgery in Round 1. Cox, Beau Waters, Matt Rosa and Josh Kennedy will push for selection against the Magpies on Sunday.

Eagle Mark LeCras comes off for a break during the NAB Cup. Picture: Daniel WilkinsSource: The Sunday Times

WESTERN BULLDOGS:

FORM: Some encouraging signs in week one of the NAB Cup. Mature recruits Nick Lower, Brett Goodes and Tom Young should all contend for senior berths. Jason Johannisen looks a promising option dashing off half-back, freeing Robert Murphy to pose a threat up forward. Michael Talia may well step up as a hard-running tall defender.

DRAFT WATCH: Jake Stringer (4) has impressed with his power and enthusiasm while training with the main group and may get his first taste of senior footy in NAB 3 or 4. The Dogs were pleased with the clearance work and disposal efficiency of Jackson Macrae (5) in the opening round.

MEDICAL ROOM: Jordan Roughead will take his place at full-back after pulling out of the opening NAB Cup round with a virus. Tom Williams (heel) should also get at least on practice match in before Round 1. Dale Morris pulled up well after his first game back from 18 months out with a broken leg.

WHAT'S NEXT: Tough assignment against the Hawks on Friday night, followed by a trip west to take on Fremantle eight days later.

News.com.au's Privacy Policy includes important information about our collection, use and disclosure of your personal information (including to provide you with targeted content and advertising based on your online activities). It explains that if you do not provide us with information we have requested from you, we may not be able to provide you with the goods and services you require. It also explains how you can access or seek correction of your personal information, how you can complain about a breach of the Australian Privacy Principles and how we will deal with a complaint of that nature.

A NOTE ABOUT RELEVANT ADVERTISING: We collect information about the content (including ads) you use across this site and use it to make both advertising and content more relevant to you on our network and other sites.